Future Fit Financial Planning: In Conversation with Vicki Hicks

AI will not increase your business value. It will protect it.

In the second episode the Future Fit Financial Planning series, James is joined by Vicky Hicks, Co-Founder of Melo, for an honest conversation about business value, identity, leadership and the realities of today’s M&A market.

Vicky shares her journey of building and selling a firm, the personal identity shift that followed, and the lessons she learned about value creation, culture and operational discipline. She offers a rare, candid look at what is really happening in the M&A landscape; from price pressure to what buyers now expect from advice firms.

They explore how clearer propositions, consistent processes and strong operational foundations protect long-term value, and why technology has become essential infrastructure rather than a differentiator.

In this episode, they cover:

• How advisers are evolving into coaches, communicators and planners
• Why clear propositions and consistent processes protect business value
• Technology as core infrastructure, not a “nice to have”
• What buyers are really looking for in today’s M&A market
• Rising price pressure and shifting valuation expectations
• Lessons from both nightmare sale stories and record-valuation exits
• Identity, resilience and planning for your own future — not just your clients’

This episode gives owner-managers, advisers and firm leaders a grounded view of where the market is heading — and a reminder that value isn’t created at exit, but in the everyday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.